Pray for the Shanty Town Dwellers

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Barb de Souza – Brazil

I don’t usually write a newsletter at this time of year, but as so much is happening here at this moment, I feel that you as mission partners should know about these events. I will quote an article that was in the newspaper and another of a witness. But first, if you remember in my last newsletter, I wrote of the threats of removal of 542 homes in the shanty town due to its proximity to the Pan American Olympics buildings and of our protest marches and legal actions to prevent this. At the end of the newsletter, I said that we had been victorious, at least for the present, with legal papers to prevent this from happening. We thought with the Olympics over, the issue might be dropped or at least delayed, giving us time to breathe and plan.

BUT, not so! I will quote from a released news report:

Barb de Souza – Brazil

BUT, not so! I will quote from a released news report:

“On the 1st of August, the city of Rio de Janeiro began the demolition of houses in the community of Canal do Anil. This was being done without any proof of the legality of this action, without a neither a city administrative order, nor an official representative of the justice department present, nor the presence of civil defense persons because of the possible risk to the population. The military police and the civil police participated in this very cruel and savage action, driving out the families from their homes and breaking down doors, windows and furniture. This community is situated near the Pan American Vila and is the residence of many more than just these threatened 542 houses of low income families-about 12,000 (to 15,000) persons.”

“On Thursday, the 2nd of August, many supporting organizations were present” (on the 2nd day of action)” to prevent the continuance of the demolition being done by the city. This time the community (of Canal do Anil)- now more organized and with a network of much stronger and well structured support, succeeded in resisting the invaders, who, acting with cruelty as well as illegality, were unable to destroy any other homes.”

“The Mayor, Cesar Maia, justifies this action by saying that he is removing the dwellers because the community is settled in a risk area. (It is adjacent to the Pan American Vila) However, after the Pan American Olympics, this area became a great potential for the building construction market.” (Land speculation: apartments for the upper and middle classes as the shantytown area have tripled in value). “The shanty town dwellers are being coerced into accepting checks of 3,000 to 15,000 Reais” (dollar changing daily but average 1.89 Reais to every $1.00).”Besides this amount being far inferior to what would guaranty a decent home, there are some dwellers that have lived in these homes for more than 40 or even 50 years”. (Their whole community/family structure is here, school, jobs, church and friends. What is not included in any newspaper article, we in the Health Clinic witnessed, the heart attack of Dona Teresinha as she watched her neighbor’s house being torn down!)

Now a report from an eyewitness and a dweller who is studying journalism and is the journalist for the community Catholic Church.

Title: The community of “Canal do Anil Calls for Help”.

“Today, the 2nd of August, marked the mobilization of the people of Canal do Anil who have been suffering attacks by the city administration because of the demolitions of their homes. We were in the office of the Association of the Community Dwellers of this community in Jacarepagua, waiting with the community for the probable attacks even though there was no official judicial order for the removal and demolition of houses in Canal do Anil. Yesterday, the 1st of August, an attack against the dwellers by the Military police and municipal guards, threatening and assaulting supporters including a retired Judge, a representative of the state defense dept. as well as the dwellers themselves, was thwarted. The reaction of the dwellers and persons of popular social movements supporting the Community of Canal do Anil, defeated the action of more home demolitions.”

“Today, the 2nd of August, we were thinking that this community would be unprepared for the Mayor’s terrorist action, which, when it occurred, included more than 60 Guards and their support men, 3 trucks, vans, cars of the public housing city administration officials with many military police cars, all arriving at about 11:00 in the Canal do Anil community”.

“Thinking of the lack of preparation of our community, Adiar (former president of the Assoc. of Community dwellers) and I (Marcelo, dweller and student of journalism) called other leaders in the community and other communities. Sra. Maria Helena, the city employee responsible for the demolition order, was leading the city `terrorist` group. She ordered her workers to surround the house of one of the families and begin to threaten the smaller children and the mother. The Guards formed a line in front of the house and her workers with large stone hammers were ready to tear down everything. Then the threats continued but soon the dwellers and the other supporters from diverse popular social movements present began to resist the coercions of these people against this family. More dwellers and supporters arrived, a Federal Deputy, (name omitted) and a member of the city council (name omitted) were not allowed to enter the house (being destroyed) and were even threatened by one of the Military policeman who gave an order that they not be permitted to come closer. These police using protective shields, formed a line and began pushing the dwellers and the supporters towards the canal with violence and cruelty, characteristic of Military Police action. After much pushing and shoving, we succeeded in resisting and with shouts, banners and protests against the demolition of this house, we defended the right of this woman and her children to live in it. After a long period of resistance inside and outside the chain of the Military Police isolation area, with the support of the dwellers and members of the city council, we were victorious and the more than 80 men of the city hall, cars, trucks (tractors) and the rogue, Maria Helena or Tania Maria were forced to leave the community.”

(Maria Helena is the woman who threatened me and our social worker in January when we reacted to her and her workers invading the shanty town, painting numbers on houses for removal without warning and threatening the families)

The article finishes like this. ” Long live the dwellers of Canal do Anil”

However, the threats continue even with the illegality of this action by the city administration. There are continuing threats to tear down and evict families from this shantytown where many of the dwellers (and many who work for us in our clinic) have lived for more some 40 to 50 years. This kind of terrorist action occurs also in other shantytowns, the smaller ones especially and we know that the reason is for building construction speculation.

We ask for your prayers of support for this community in which we have lived and worked for some 15 years.

Barb and Gus

P.S. We have just learned that part of the land in front of the canal was purchased by a Construction company, Carvalho Hosken S/A, one of the largest donors to the electoral political campaign of the present Mayor, César Maia

Barb de Souza is a volunteer with the Institute of Religious Studies (ISER). She serves as an advisor for popular education and training in the areas of health and sexuality.